The Twins announced that left-hander Jovani Moran’s contract has been selected from Triple-A. In the corresponding moves, Randy Dobnak was moved on the 60-day injured list (thus officially ending Dobnak’s season) and southpaw Andrew Albers was optioned to Triple-A.
Moran was a seventh-round pick for the Twins in the 2015 draft, and the 24-year-old is now on the verge of his Major League debut. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 26th-best prospect in Minnesota’s farm system, Moran has pitched almost exclusively as a reliever since the start of the 2017 season, and emerged with strong performances at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2021. Moran has a 2.41 ERA over 67 1/3 combined innings at the two levels, along with a very impressive 41.8% strikeout rate. While recording strikeouts has never been a problem for Moran, though control has been a bit more an issue — his 12.26% walk rate this season roughly matches his career average.
Moran’s fastball sits in the 91-94mph range, though he is best known for his outstanding changeup. According to Pipeline’s scouting report, “some see it as a double-plus pitch,” to the point that Moran doesn’t often use his third pitch (a somewhat medium-grade slider). For a Twins team that will be looking for pitching in all forms this winter, Moran certainly has an opportunity in these final few weeks to get himself into the bullpen picture for 2022.
Dobnak was placed on the 10-day IL earlier this week due to a right middle finger sprain, the same injury that saw the right-hander miss over two months of the season in an earlier 60-day IL stint. The injuries further exacerbated an already rough season for Dobnak, who posted a 7.64 ERA over 50 2/3 innings out of both the Twins’ rotation and bullpen.
Dobnak showed promise in 2019 & 20. He got the tar beat out of him this year, but that may be a result of his injury. Hope he comes back.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Prayers and thoughts for a speedy recovery
Speedy recovery with thoughts & prayers
Put it in a blender & mix it up
Are we still accepting condolences? I have a few of them left over from last year. I washed and cleaned them so there aren’t any COVID germs.
WOW… Moran has such a great minor league stat line this year that Bill James needs to reward him with at least 0.5 WAR to start out, as a bonus even. Same with no hitters, perfect games, or if Vlad Jr., wins the Triple Crown. Actually, if that happens, it should be worth 5.0 WAR alone, which would put him ahead of Ohtani for the AL MVP.
You sir, should work in MLBs analytics department. You clearly missed your calling.
Thank you. I dream of the day that sabermetrics and algorithms are understandable for the “average fan”. If I’m taking my children to the game, I want to be able to explain to them what just happened.
***batter hits game-winning home run***
Dad: “Son, did you see that?”
Son: “It was a home run, Dad!”
Dad: “No! It was 0.3 WAR right there! Don’t you know anything?!?”
You can’t actually see me, but I’m barfing
Nerds will take over the world
This exchange is amazing
Are we listed on the stock market exchange? I’m pulling my bitcoin out.
Don’t forget your Doggy Coins! I put all my life savings into the cryptos since I’ve been reading about unemployed nerds talking them up so much, but then some dork hacker from a third-world country stole everything, so here I am, homeless, sitting on a street corner with my beaten-up old laptop reading MLBTR.
Okay……stop, you’re scaring me. My mom just locked me out of the basement. & took all my Star War dolls (action figures)
lolzmutzzunder500, dry up & blow away
There’s a mute button, use it if you don’t like it.
Anyhoooooo, Dobnak’s MLB success is over. His only effective pitch is an average velocity, tailing fastball that runs back out over the plate vs LH hitters. RH hitters have learned to lay off until he has to groove a strike because he will usually get behind in the count.
He has always been very hittable and was a curious choice for the Twins to sign long term while still pre- arbitration eligible.
Another in a growing list of questionable front office moves.